Electronic devices, including integrated circuits, must be maintained during operations at a temperature within an operating range of temperature specified by the manufacturer of the electronic device to operate properly. In the case of commercially available integrated circuits, typically the range of temperatures is between 0 deg. and 70 deg. Celsius. When implementing an electronic device in a given system, for example on a printed circuit board within a computer system, features must be included to maintain the electronic device at temperatures within the operating range of the electronic device.
Typically, because electronic devices produce heat as a by-product of operation, electronic devices must be cooled. Fans and heat sinks have been used to cool electronic devices and maintain them within the specified operating range. Fans and heat sinks work well when implemented in an environment with narrow temperature limits such as the home. However, when temperature extremes of the environment can vary widely, devices for regulating the operating temperature of the electronic device must be made more complex, and have to both heat and cool the electronic device. Heat sinks in intimate contact with the electronic device tend to shift the operating range of the electronic device downward for a given ambient temperature. Therefore, with a heat sink alone, both the upper range and lower range of acceptable ambient temperatures in which the electronic device can operate within its operating range are raised, making heat sinks alone unsuitable for cold environments. Fans are likewise unsuitable and moreover, tend to be costly and prone to failure.